When it comes to getting rid of facial hair, many women turn to ipl laser hair removal for light hair. It’s not a painful process, and it can help you get rid of unwanted facial hair. Ipl laser hair removal for light hair is so common because it does not need to be preceded by electrolysis or waxing. This means that the therapy will not cause any painful burns or skin irritations.
Keep in mind that not all skin tones or colors will respond favorably to Ipl laser hair removal for light hair, even though it is widely regarded as an effective treatment. Before choosing if this course of treatment is appropriate for you, you should discuss it with your physician.
IPL laser hair removal is a cutting-edge technique for permanently removing even the lightest hair. With the help of a portable gadget, you may get rid of unsightly body hair and be left with flawless skin. When compared to other techniques of permanent laser hair removal, ipl is superior when used on light hair for a number of reasons. But before we go into them, let’s first learn what Ipl is and how the special procedure works. Read on to learn more on best at home laser hair removal for blonde hair/best at home laser hair removal for brazilian.
Ipl Laser Hair Removal For Light Hair
IPL hair removal is more common than ever before, prices are dropping and more people are getting their hands on this technology. There are more and more “home IPL devices” on the market than ever before. But just like anything they are not all created the same. Today we share the honest TRUTH around IPL hair removal.
We have all heard stories of a friend of a friend who spent hundreds of dollars on IPL hair removal and ended up with zero results. But what we need to remember is there are many factors that make up a successful IPL treatment. Most of these factors come from your own body, such as hormones, medications, medical conditions and colour of the hairs.
Other causes could be due to the person delivering the treatment, was the correct treatment procedure followed, correct technique used and timing of the appointments. Are they even trained in IPL hair removal at all?
Finally, the quality and maintenance of the IPL equipment.
Choosing an accredited clinic to carry out your treatment is vital to your results.
We cannot promise 100% permanent hair removal. We can also only treat active hairs (in the ‘anagen’ cycle). So after a course of IPL hair removal, we will have destroyed the suitable treated follicle’s and they will never grow back, but there is a strong possibility that a brand new follicle may activate or follicles, not in the ‘anagen’ phase will still grow. Most certified IPL providers are aiming to provide an 80% hair reduction in the hairs present at the start of treatment.
The number one factor that may trigger new hair growth is hormones. It could be hormones due to pregnancy, menopause or a hormonal condition. We must make clients aware that this is a possibility after their treatment, as no hair removal can be classed as ‘permanent’. IPL is semi-permanent and does need maintenance. Maintenance could be a yearly treatment or even 3-5years down the track, depending on the individual.
This is a common mistake clients make. After 4 treatments they see a great result and think “I don’t need to have 4 more treatments they are just trying to take my money”. We have a set amount of treatments for IPL Hair removal for a reason, to assure we treat as many of the hair follicles as possible, as they are not all in the same growth cycle at one time. (A course of 8 treatments is recommended for dark hair and 12 sessions for white hair.)
IPL hair removal is only suitable for dark hair as the light is attracted to the melanin (colour) in the hair. Many people with light, white or red hair would not benefit from IPL as there is no melanin in the hair, UNTIL NOW. As technology has advanced we can now treat white, blonde & red hairs with the only IPL machine in the world The Efb Beauté Adéna – available at The Beauty Clinic- Botany & Meadowbank.
With advanced technology and a different process, we can treat blonde, white and red hair with fantastic results- you fair beauty’s no longer need to miss out!
As darker skin has a higher melanin level, some IPL machines are just not able to safely treat. IPL works by finding the melanin in a hair and if the skin has a high level of melanin present, the machine simply cannot tell the difference! What happens is the pulse of light just spreads over the closest melanin it can find, the surface of the skin, which can result in painful burns or blisters. Even if this doesn’t happen, the light is absorbed by the melanin in the skin before it can reach the follicle- hence why there is NO result!
Some treatment providers simply reduce the heat of their IPL machines to prevent damage to the skin, but this prevents any result at all.
The Efb Beauté Adéna IPL is able to treat darker skins than most machines, please book for a consultation to see if you are suitable. – available at The Beauty Clinic- Botany & Meadowbank.
Have you ever added up the cost of your monthly waxing or shaving, you may be surprised that in the long run you will SAVE money investing in IPL Hair removal with the added bonus of getting rid of the painful monthly wax or annoying prickly legs!
At The Beauty Clinic we offer payment options as well as our Beauty Plan programme which gives you the option of paying off your treatment weekly, fortnightly or monthly with no interest and the added extras our Beauty Plan members receive.
“I’M STILL UNSURE IF IPL IS FOR ME”
Book yourself in for a complimentary consultation. We sit with you and discuss all your questions and concerns – The Beauty Clinic believes you should have the opportunity to gain professional advice before making your decision.
Best At Home Laser Hair Removal For Blonde Hair
The hair on your head can also differ from the colour of your body hair, and your body hair can be a different colour in one body area versus another. So, for laser and IPL, check the colour of the hairs in the body areas you want to be smooth.
Why most laser & IPL won’t work on fair hair
Black or brown body hair with lots of black or brown eumelanin responds best to home laser and IPL hair reduction. That’s because the eumelanin absorbs the strong IPL and laser light energy, which then heats up and damages key areas of the hair follicle. After several sessions it slows and stops your hair growth.
Pheomelanin in blonde and red hair doesn’t absorb the light energy. So, IPL and laser won’t work on hair colours with mostly these pigments.
So, at-home brands use colour charts to help you understand which hair colours have enough eumelanin for their devices’ work on. Like this one, from Sensica:
Hair colour chart example from Sensica – check your body hair colour against it
The charts typically show it works on colours black, dark brown, through to light brown and dark blonde (1 to 4 above). Colours it won’t work on are light blonde, red and grey/white (5 to 7).
Now, this is helpful if your body hair colour closely matches a swatch in the chart. However, there are oodles more colours and colour combinations for blonde and red hair not shown in these charts. And some may have enough eumelanin in them to work.
And that’s why some brands also say in their FAQs, whilst black and dark brown hair have the most melanin and respond best to treatment, it can work on other hair shades and colours too if they have enough eumelanin in them. So, this includes light browns, many blonde shades and auburn hair too.
Golden blonde hair shades: IPL hair removal works on mid and dark blonde, and could work on light blonde (but not white blonde).
Ash blonde hair shades: IPL hair removal works on mid ash and dark ash blonde, and could work on light ash blonde (but not white blonde).
A few years ago, Smoothskin suggested you could try their powerful Muse model on light blonde hair because it may have enough eumelanin pigment (but not on white blonde hairs). However, it could take a few to several extra sessions to match the results on darker hair. They suggested their worldwide 90-day money back guarantee allows you to try it for a few months, and return it if you don’t see results.
An old chart from the Smoothskin website suggesting try it on light blonde body hairs with the 90 day money back guarantee.
Smoothskin no longer promote this with the latest powerful Pure and Pure Fit model (which has the same IPL power range), but there’s nothing stopping you trying this on blonde or red toned body hair. If you’re prepared to put the effort in you could see results within the money back guarantee period. However, be prepared you may not, and it’s unlikely to work on white blonde or pure red body hair.
So, if you want a sure choice before you put in the effort, check out the next section.
How some do work on fair hair colours
For blonde, red, grey and white hairs you can choose IPL devices with a special patented technology called Elōs.
You’ll find this tech in Illuminage and Me IPL devices. It’s clinically proven to work on fair hairs.
Let’s look at how it works now.
How Elōs technology works on fair hairs
Elōs IPL hair removal is the only one clincally proven effective on blonde and red hair. That’s because it doesn’t rely solely on dark melanin pigment in your hairs.
p
GREY HAIRS TOO?
White/grey hair participants weren’t part of the Elōs clinical test. However, because it’s not reliant on dark pigment in the hairs, it will work in exactly the same way on white and grey body hairs.
It works in two ways:
#1 Pluck or wax
You must pluck, wax or epilate your fair hairs immediately before your session. This way, the IPL energy targets the small, dark blood droplets left behind in your follicles after they’re pulled out. The blood droplets absorb the IPL energy and convert to heat, thus damaging the follicles.
#2 Radio Frequency current
Elōs also sends a type of electric current called Radio Frequency (RF) into your skin. The IPL and RF work even better together to heat your hair follicles, even if they lack dark eumelanin pigment.
Radio Frequency works like this…
RF is a painless electric current sent through your skin from one electrode to the other. The spacing of the RF electrodes is just right to send the RF current down to your hair root depth. You can’t feel it at all. But as it flows through your skin, the RF encounters resistance and this creates heat in your tissues.
And it works so well with the IPL because warmer structures are less resistant to electrical current. This means, as each IPL flash heats the blood droplet and the surrounding follicle, it draws the RF current towards it. This then concentrates around the follicle, right where it’s needed. So, your follicles get an extra dose of heat from the RF. This gradually damages areas of the hair follicle and slows your hair growth.
This is how Elōs works without relying on melanin-rich hair. And explains why it should also work on white/grey hair too.
I’m not here to tell you that you should or shouldn’t remove your body hair—I support whatever you want to do. But if you’ve decided you want less of it and you want a removal option that’ll last longer than a few days, laser hair removal is the way to go. Yes, it’s an investment (sessions can range from $30 to $100 depending on the area), but after getting Brazilian waxes for about 10 years, it definitely made more sense for me to pay more upfront for more permanent hair reduction and spend less time trying to mediate in butterfly position while someone ripped hard wax off of my vagina.
As I began researching laser hair removal options, I noticed that in general, useful information is scarce—and useful information for people with melanin-rich skin is even rarer. So, after doing tons of research, embarking on my own “journey,” and chronicling my experiences on Instagram Stories, I figured there needed to be a more permanent and visible place for others to get all the deets on laser hair removal for dark skin.
This guide contains all the information I wish I had before committing to laser hair removal with tips from myself and most importantly, from board-certified dermatologists who specialize in working with melanin-rich skin.
How laser hair removal works
Laser hair removal is the most effective way to permanently remove unwanted body hair. It is quick, safe and painless. A laser beam is used to target the pigment in the hair follicle, destroying it so that it will never grow back.
The best at home laser hair removal for brazilian is a very popular treatment because it can be done at home in the comfort of your own home. This method of hair removal does not require any special equipment or expensive visits to a clinic, although you will need to make sure that you purchase a good quality product from a reputable retailer.
If you decide to use this method of hair removal for your bikini line, then be prepared for an initial investment of around $400 – $500 which includes the cost of the device itself as well as extra batteries and replacement cartridges. The good news is that once you have purchased your new device, then you will not have any ongoing costs as long as you keep replacing your batteries and cartridges on time.
The best at home laser hair removal for brazilian is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin and darker skin tones. The key here is to pick out a device that produces high intensity pulses (at least 4 J) with low pulse duration (100-200 ms).
The most popular at home laser hair removal treatment is the IPL (Intense Pulsed Light). It works by sending a light pulse of energy through the skin to the hair follicle. The energy burns the hair so that it never grows back.
The laser can be used on all areas of the body, but is especially effective for delicate areas like your face.
The results are not permanent, however, so you will need to repeat the treatments every few weeks. The more treatments you have, the better your results will be.
Although laser hair removal has been found to drastically reduce hair growth, “It’s important to emphasize that laser hair removal is really like permanent hair reduction—it’s not going to get rid of everything,” says Dr. Charles. In other words, it will diminish the amount of hair you have, but it may not remove it all for good.
Up until recently, laser hair removal wasn’t considered safe for people with melanin-rich skin because early models of lasers weren’t created to differentiate the melanin in the skin from the melanin of the hair follicle. Because of this, people with darker complexions were at an increased risk of experiencing burns, scarring, hypopigmentation (aka light spots on your skin), and other adverse reactions when treated with a laser. However, with new lasers created with melanin-rich skin in mind, specifically lasers with longer wavelengths, longer pulse durations, and more efficient cooling devices, this is changing.
The benefits of laser hair removal
Not only does laser hair removal reduce unwanted hair on the body, but as a result, it can also be used to treat common skin concerns such as razor bumps, hyperpigmentation (darkened areas of skin), and hypopigmentation. Because the laser targets the hair follicle and reduces hair growth, it prevents the follicle from becoming inflamed. Plus, as the hair on your body decreases, it eliminates the need for shaving, which is often the culprit behind razor bumps and the dark patches associated with them. For those who have discoloration or bumps caused by hair growth, over time laser hair removal may also improve the texture of your skin.
The best laser for dark complexions
If you tried to get laser hair removal on a darker complexion in the early 2000s, you were probably turned away because old lasers weren’t created to work on these skin types. But now, newer lasers can distinguish between the pigment of the skin and hair follicles, making it possible to safely and effectively treat melanin-rich skin.
According to Dr. Charles, laser hair removal is “incredibly effective” for people with darker complexions when performed with a laser that provides a 1064 nanometer laser wavelength of light. Lasers such as the Nd:YAG have a 1064 nanometer wavelength, and this long wavelength bypasses the melanin found in the skin and solely targets the melanin, or pigment, of the hair follicle.
“This particular wavelength is safest for skin of color because the wavelength penetrates the skin deeply enough to destroy the hair follicles without destroying the surrounding melanocytes [which are the cells in your skin that produce pigment],” says DiAnne Davis, MD, FAAD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist located in Dallas, TX. This is important because the destruction of the melanocytes can lead to pigmentary alterations such as hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation, she adds.
According to Dr. Charles, laser hair removal is very safe with minimal side effects, “assuming that the person doing it is using the right laser and understands the mechanics of treating darker skin,” he says.
The biggest issue when performing laser hair removal on dark skin comes from the heat that the lasers produce, says Dr. Charles. The intensity of the heat can potentially heat up melanin and harm the skin, leading to pigment changes like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation. This is why it’s imperative to use a laser that will solely target the pigmentation of the hair follicle and not your skin, and get services from people who have experience working with skin of color.
When looking for a provider, “The brand of the laser is not as important as the specific wavelength of the laser,” says Dr. Davis. Instead of simply booking a session at the location your favorite celebs frequent or your friends swear by, make sure first and foremost they have a laser that’s safe for your skin.
Good candidates for laser hair removal
Before you invest in laser hair removal it’s important to find out if you’re a good candidate to receive treatment. According to Dr. Charles, no matter the amount of melanin in your skin or how light or dark your complexion is, you can get laser hair removal. “But the people that tend to do the best have coarse, thick hair and darker hair, and that’s because the light source in the laser tends to see that hair the best, so it picks up the hair and it really zaps it,” he says.
People with dark brown or black hair tend to see the best results with laser, adds Dr. Davis. If you have light brown, grey, or white hair, unfortunately, you aren’t considered a good candidate for laser hair removal as the laser won’t be able to detect the melanin of the hair follicles.
Most people will see success with laser hair removal, but there are areas, such as the upper lip, which are harder to treat because that hair tends to be finer. Most professionals will still treat this spot, but because it tends to be resistant to treatment (and because excess hair growth in the area can sometimes be caused by hormones), you may not see drastic results and will likely need to do multiple sessions to see any results at all.
Things to keep in mind before your first laser hair removal treatment
There are a few things you’ll want to be aware of before you book your initial session. First, you’ll want to take stock of your skin-care routine and consult your dermatologist or laser provider. If you use products that contain ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide on areas you plan on getting treated, professionals may recommend you stop using them altogether, or at least press pause on them for a few days before and after your treatment. According to Dr. Davis, this is because they can cause increased sensitivity of the skin and in conjunction with laser hair removal, you run the risk of irritation or more serious issues such as your skin peeling off and scarring.
Dr. Charles doesn’t stop his patients from using topicals on treatment areas, but he doesn’t recommend using retinol or retinoids immediately after getting treated. “That said, it is ok to start your skin-care regimen a couple of days after treatment assuming that all went well with the treatment,” he says. For those on Accutane, Dr. Charles doesn’t recommend getting treatment, as the skin can respond unpredictably.
And if you’re pregnant, it’s also advised that you hold off on treatment, as studies haven’t evaluated the safety of laser hair removal during pregnancy.
How to prepare for a laser hair removal session
“Before your laser hair removal appointment, you will want to have a consultation with your board-certified dermatologist to review your medical history and discuss goals you want to achieve so you can be fully educated on exactly how the treatments will work,” says Dr. Davis.
Before purchasing any sessions, I highly recommend setting up an appointment to spot test the areas you want to get laser on. First, you’ll be able to get a feel for the practice and whether or not you like it and your provider, and most importantly, you’ll be able to find out if you’ll have any adverse effects to the treatment. My biggest fear was getting burned on my vagina and having permanent scars (and wasting my money), so in my opinion, it’s worth the caution and extra appointment.
“Avoid waxing, avoid plucking, avoid electrolysis to the area [being treated] for at least three or four weeks” prior to your sessions, adds Dr. Charles. But if you’re adamant about removing hair in between sessions, “shaving is the best thing to do,” he says.
You’ll want to avoid waxing, as it removes the entire hair follicle, and in order for the laser to work, you need a little bit of hair as the laser detects the pigment of the hair follicle. Most providers recommend shaving a day or two before your session for best results, but this varies by technician and location, so make sure to speak with your provider to find out their specific recommendations and guidelines.
In my experience, shaving two days prior to your session is the best, especially if you always miss patches of hair. I find that the first shave gets most of the hair and the second shave allows you to go over any spots you initially missed. Worst case scenario, your provider will shave any missed areas before the fun begins.
What to expect during your laser hair removal session
For those who have begun their research, you’ve probably heard laser hair removal providers or friends who have gone through with it say that it’s painless. And to that, I call BS, respectfully. While we all have different pain tolerance levels, I think it’s safe to say that laser removal is uncomfortable. In my opinion, it feels like heated rubber bands getting snapped against your skin. I know that description sounds horrible, but the silver lining is that the discomfort only lasts for a split second.
I haven’t gotten laser all over my body, but can attest that there are definitely areas that are way more sensitive than others. For example, the vulva. There are no words to describe what that feels like, and I recommend going to your happy place, taking deep breaths, and squeezing the shit out of the stress balls.
To help manage the discomfort of getting a full Brazilian, I like to use numbing cream ($17). I apply it about an hour before I need to leave home, let it stay on for at least 20 minutes (the longer the better), and it drastically reduces any discomfort. That said, I recommend speaking with your provider to see what products they do and don’t recommend.
At the end of the day, you will more than likely experience some level of discomfort, and instead of abiding by the “suck it up” mentality, let your provider know so that they can give you a break or decrease the intensity of the laser.
What to expect after a laser hair removal session
After your session, you may experience minor bumps on your skin due to inflammation of the hair follicles, “but those typically go away within a day or so,” says Dr. Charles. He adds that redness is also common, and he tends to give people a mild topical steroid to use for a few days following the session in order to reduce it. Speaking from personal experience, providers typically offer aloe vera gel to soothe the skin immediately after performing treatment on each area.
You should avoid sun exposure and use sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF to prevent burning, as your skin will be more photosensitive than normal. This is because the laser has damaged the hair follicle which can initially cause redness and irritation to the treated area, similar to when you get a skin-care treatment on your face, making you more susceptible to damage from UV rays.
How long does it take to see results from laser hair removal
After feeling like you’ve been popped with thousands of rubber bands, you may be wondering how long it will take to see results. “You’ll typically see anywhere between a 50 percent and 90 percent reduction of hair with the first treatment,” says Dr. Charles, adding that it usually takes around five sessions to see major differences.
I didn’t believe this was true until I started experiencing moments where 20 to 30 pieces of “dead” hair would fall out onto my washcloth as I washed my body and into my hands as I applied lotion. This may seem odd at first, but it’s a good indicator that your sessions are working and aren’t being done in vain.
You should also expect to see less hair growth after a few sessions. At times, it may look patchy, because your hair grows in different phases and some areas tend to be more stubborn than others. “It is important to adhere to a consistent, monthly routine when starting laser hair removal,” says Dr. Charles. This is because your hair typically grows in three phases: the growth phase, the resting phase, and the regression phase.
“Different portions of the hair will enter a growth phase at different time points after the laser hair removal treatment, while other areas will be in a resting or regression phase. Therefore, it is crucial for the success of the treatments to follow up with monthly treatments to capture new areas undergoing growth,” says Dr. Charles. And although this is anecdotal, I’ve found from my own experience that being consistent with your sessions reduces the level of pain from treatment to treatment.
It’s worth mentioning again that though laser treatments can make a big difference in the amount of hair on your body, it’s not considered permanent hair removal. Because factors like hormones can continue to impact your hair growth, you’ll still need to go in for maintenance sessions even after you’re “done.”
With all of that said, laser hair removal is definitely a time, emotional, and financial commitment, so before you book a session, make sure that you’re confident in the provider and ready to commit to at least six months of consistent treatment.
Best At Home Laser Hair Removal For Brazilian
Laser hair removal is a godsend for those who want to eliminate fuzz permanently, but it can be complicated for people of color. A common misconception is that laser hair removal is not safe for skin with high levels of melanin. I personally never thought I could benefit from laser hair removal. I was told by two facilities that they could not accommodate my skin tone because the advancements in the industry had not been updated to serve people of color. This was in 2009. According to Christian Karavolas, the owner of Romeo and Juliette Laser Hair Removal in NYC, and Andrea Young, the founder and owner of Beam Laser Spa, the laser game has significantly changed since then.
Karavolas reiterated that a number of his patients have assumed laser was not safe for people of color. Young added that the myth stems from a time when patients of color would be treated with the Alexandrite laser and would encounter adverse reactions and side effects—like hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation—from being treated with the incorrect wavelength.
Here, Karavolas and Young break down what to look for, how to prepare, and the perfect lasers for all people of color, including multiracial and albino individuals.
MORE FROM ELLE
What to look for in your laser hair removal provider:
People of color should look for a certain laser called the Nd:YAG. “For women or men of color interested in doing laser hair removal, the most important thing is to make sure they are getting treatments with a YAG laser,” says Young. Karavolas explains that the laser operates differently to make it safe for people of color. “Nd:YAG lasers have a long pulse wavelength and bypasses the epidermis. Since it bypasses the epidermis, it does not hurt the epidermis, meaning it does not burn the skin,” explains Karavolas. “With that laser you are able to effectively disable the reproductive cycle of the hair within the follicle meaning you can effectively remove hair without hurting the skin.”
A good specialist will test your skin tone:
When in doubt, get tested. Because skin tones can differ from person to person, it’s important that the setting is chosen specifically for your skin tone. Karavolas at Romeo and Juliette Laser Hair Removal uses the Fitzpatrick skin typing test to determine the patient’s skin color and the appropriate laser. The patient will receive a score from one to thirty-six to determine what wavelength laser to use.
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW
The results of the Fitzpatrick skin test decide which laser to use, but it’s also important to notice the settings. “Once you decide which laser to use, obviously the darker the person you have to make the settings a little gentler to not burn the skin,” says Karavolas.
Prepare your body for laser:
Just like any treatment or procedure it’s important to prep the area that’s about to get blasted. “Make sure the area that will be lasered has not been waxed, threaded, plucked or used any other method of hair removal that pulls out the root for at least 8 weeks,” Young notes. “Abstain from using any harsh products on the area to be lasered for at least two weeks before getting lasered and subsequently after the treatments. These include retinols, alpha, beta and glycolic acids, or topical acne medications.”
This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.